Supermodel Christy Turlington Closed Michael Kors AW26 Show
Bringing together A-list names, the collection pay homage to New York City…
For 45 years Michael Kors has been sharing his sartorial wonder with the world, and on Thursday night during New York Fashion Week, the famed designer presented his collection “New York Chic.” Held at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, the collection honed in on the yin-and-yang of the city that has long influenced his creations.
Sitting front row is a packed-out list of A-list names from: Uma Thurman, Dakota Fanning, brand ambassador Suki Waterhouse, Gabrielle Union-Wade, to Kelsea Ballerini, Mary J. Blige, Martha Stewart, Olivia Munn, Leslie Bibb, Rachel Zegler (aka Rachel Zoe), Nicole Scherzinger, and Audra McDonald.
For the AW26 season, designers and houses are hearing the consumer and creating practical and wearable pieces. As I write this, luxury fashion is experiencing a slowdown as the world transitions from the pandemic era where money was flowing, to the slump we’re seeing today. According to an article by McKinsey, the market is facing a “structural reset” with price increases that drove growth from 2023-2025. Revenue has hit a wall with consumers not spending. It is forecasted that for this year there will only be a 1-5% increase in market value.
To match these market changes, Kors’ collection is filled with simplicity and the idea of a wardrobe with reinvented essentials. Tailoring is softened with bias cuts, draping is done delicately, and a modern twist is put on classic materials like tweed and flannel. Lots of neutral tones of fawn are contrasted with ruby, raspberry, and wine color palettes. Pants with trains and cocktail gowns with embroidery are made a thing. The accessories took inspiration from Kors’ hometown of Long Island, while shoes are designed for an urban life on the go.
“When I think about New York, I think about reinvention and things that can be reimagined,” explains Mr. Kors in collection notes. “This is the grittiest, toughest place in the world but it can also be the most glamorous, magical place in the world, and that juxtaposition is what makes people interesting, places interesting, and fashion interesting.”
Liisa Winkler, Julia Nobis, Paloma Elsesser, and Karolin Wolter are some of the models that walked the show. Christy Turlington who was the it-girl model in the late 80s and early 90s closed the show wearing a black gown number with sequins on the skirting, and the most elegant draping on the bodice, with matching train.
The afterparty
After the show, guests made their way across Lincoln Center to P.J. Clarke’s for cheeseburgers and martinis, while listening to the melodic piano playing of Grammy-nominated musician and artist Rufus Wainwright. This collection is about resilience and strength. I hope what I design makes people feel stronger, because we all need beauty and strength,” says Mr. Kors.
The Collection
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